Villanova University visits Golden West in Cambodia

Villanova University visits Golden West in Cambodia

5 January, 2015

Professor Garrett Clayton, Villanova University College of Engineering, and a group of senior mechanical engineering students travelled to Cambodia to conduct field trials of the prototype Low-Cost EOD Response Robot. This robot was developed in cooperation with the Golden West Design Lab (Phnom Penh) in a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA). The Engineering Education Partnership (EEP) is an initiative funded by PM/WRA with the dual goals of providing contextual STEM educational opportunities to U.S. engineering students and exposing the field of humanitarian explosive ordnance remediation to fresh new ideas.

Arriving in early January 2015, this was the third year that Prof. Clayton’s students have tested a prototype robot at Golden West’s Applied Technology and Training Center (Kampong Chhnang province). After successful field tests, the team determined the robotic platform was ready to undergo redesign for production. It is expected that the Low-Cost EOD Robot will be available for purchase in Q2, 2016 and will sell for under $10,000 USD.